HOW IT WORKS

To accommodate so many discrete systems and devices, our platform has to be flexible. To grow and evolve over time it has to be extensible. And to successfully analyze, report and guide, it has to be intelligent. Here’s how we’ve built it to achieve these goals.

Privacy is Paramount

Our 12-point privacy policy puts a premium on personal information security. Customers can control what information is stored about them, who can see it, and determine whether that data is anonymized or deleted entirely.

Conforming to the latest standards of privacy set forth by the European Union, our platform honors every person's right to be forgotten. This right is not only enforced in our policy, it's built into the PlanIT UOS™ – supported through APIs specifically designed to irrevocably anonymize user-related data, while maintaining that data’s aggregate usefulness for solution providers.

Scalable Security

For highly scalable situations like those addressed by the PlanIT UOS, security becomes a problem to accurately configure and maintain. Managing sensitive data and complex relationships across myriad devices and users, safely and reliably, poses unique challenges.

We’ve cracked this issue with a policy-driven security mechanism. Security is defined as context-based policy statements in a structured language such as ODRL, and this is compiled to provide platform security settings. This allows a wide range of scenarios to be covered in a small number of statements, as opposed to extensive and risky explicit coding of settings using copy-and-paste.

PlanIT UOS™ Architecture

The Core and Control layers are the heart of the PlanIT UOS, uniting sensors, devices, systems and the users who need to access them.

Devices

A unified network of sensors and devices. The PlanIT UOS communicates with devices in this layer to collect data, make decisions – sometimes with input via apps – and issue commands to controllable equipment.

Applications

Applications enable users to interact with data and controllable equipment, based on access granted by the security model. The PlanIT UOS opens up a mass market for smart urban apps, so we provide an API and SDK in multiple languages to help 3rd parties smoothly develop everything from large-scale control applications to mobile apps.

Composite Application Framework

RUNS WHERE & HOW YOU NEED IT

UOS can be deployed to suit the specifics of your environment and operational context, and is equally happy running on the cloud, locally, or as a hybrid.

Local

The UOS Core can run on premise in your own servers or Living PlanIT preconfigured appliances, optimized for remote operation.

Cloud

The UOS Core is optimized for popular cloud environments such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services, and can be optimized for most cloud environments.

Hybrid

Sophisticated multinode deployments provide support and flexibility at scale. Extensible, hybrid architectures leverage the benefits in reliability and efficiency of both local and cloud operation.

Planit UOS Deployment

Let’s walk through an example of how the PlanIT UOS Core & Control architecture enables it to scale effectively across many sensors, devices and environments – whether deployed locally, on the cloud, or as a hybrid.

PlanIT UOS Deployment

Let’s walk through an example of how the PlanIT UOS Core & Control architecture enables it to scale effectively across many sensors, devices and environments – whether deployed locally, on the cloud, or as a hybrid.

Apartment

Each apartment’s sensors (light, temperature, movement, humidity) and devices (motors, locks, luminaires, valves) connect to a PlanIT UOS Control Node which coordinates immediate local responses, working with other UOS nodes as necessary. It also relays data to the UOS Core, which marshals all the sensors, devices, systems, and their data into a centrally-managed platform.

Floor

Just as apartment sensors are connected to the apartment’s control node, apartment nodes connect to a further tier of control nodes which aggregate apartment data streams and provide sensing and control support for floor- and building-level equipment. These nodes work closely with the Building Core node which provides support for applications working with the UOS.

Building

The floor nodes connect to the Building Core node which runs applications providing higher level control and coordinating functions for the building and its surrounding infrastructure. Current conditions and historical data are used to provide efficient building systems management and predictive operation. The result? Reduced cost, less waste, and safer, smarter, more convenient spaces.

City

This unique Control & Core architecture enables managing entire cities. Massive savings can be achieved by connecting city infrastructure and utilities. The more systems that share intelligence, the more efficient their operation. And the more opportunities there are for economic, environmental and social sustainability.

SUPPORT FROM THE START

With in-the-box support for hardware developers, our API for software developers, and the ability to integrate closely with partners, we've made implementation as seamless and streamlined as possible. We are happy to answer any questions and here to help get you up and running.

DEVICE INTEGRATION

PlanIT UOS offers in-the-box support for tens of thousands of legacy devices. But it doesn't matter how many – it only matters that we support yours. That's why we've made it easy to support devices old and new, with model-driven development and a device-driven toolkit. These make it easy to connect your devices without having to write a single line of code.

Core

These expose the functionality of the PlanIT UOS Core. This delivers mainstream UOS functions, the ability to interface with sensors, actuators, the control tier and more. The Core API is designed to enable the UOS to serve applications in a reliable, scalable and high-performance way.

Applications

These provide application service facilities and shared services, such as application persistence, notification, privacy, security and reporting. Developers have the option of co-hosting their applications with the UOS where appropriate.

Functional

These expose functionality enabled by integrated capital equipment at a logical level, abstracting details away from the application, providing a common way for different makes and models of equipment to work in harmony.

Thanks!

Chief Executive Officer

Steve Lewis

Steve Lewis is the CEO and Founder of Living PlanIT. He is member of the statutory board and chair of the Living PlanIT Advisory Council.

Formerly with Microsoft Corporation, where Steve served as General Manager of Market Development and Co-Chair of the Microsoft Business Development Forum, Steve was responsible for understanding key market trends and developments to identify their strategic implications for Microsoft and the industry. He also led the company's strategic business development opportunities leveraging Microsoft's portfolio of technology, research & development, services, marketing, distribution, partner ecosystem and investment capital.

Before Microsoft, Steve spent a few years raising capital for technology investments, mergers and acquisitions and participated on the boards of early through late stage development companies. He served as General Manager of the Lotus Messaging and Collaboration division of IBM Corporation, having previously held key executive positions in areas of business development, product strategy, management, marketing, engineering and sales.

Steve frequently delivers the keynote address at industry events. He is actively involved in promoting entrepreneurship, science & technology in education, including lectures at many leading Universities. He chaired the European Business Plan of the Year Award 2010 & 2011, became World Economic Forum's Technology Pioneer in 2012, won Frost & Sullivan's Growth Innovation Leadership award for Smart Cities and IAIR's CEO of the Year Award in 2015. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts.

Chief Operating Officer

Richard Constant

Richard Constant joined Living PlanIT as Chief Operating Officer in 2015 to support the team in the next phase of growth that the company faces. He brings over 40 years of experience in various fields as he has been advising governments and corporate clients around the world on high profile financial, corporate and public affairs & communications strategies for over 25 years. His transactional experience involves over 200 M&A situations and 100 IPOs and equity offerings. Previously Richard was Chairman and CEO of Gavin Anderson & Co (2000 - 2009).

In 1973 Richard was commissioned in the British Army. After a number of operational tours he was appointed to the Chief of the General Staff's Office. In 1986 he joined Flemings' Investment Banking, as Head of Marketing in London and New York.

In 1991 he joined Gavin Anderson & Company, where he was the Managing Director before becoming CEO Worldwide in 2001. In this role he led the firm's international expansion in Europe, Asia, incl. China and Japan, and the Americas.

He advised Governments, incl. Japan (Tsunami crisis), Portugal (Eurozone crisis), Abu Dhabi and Qatar (development of financial centers). He has farming interests in Kenya and serves in non-executive positions in farming and tourism organizations there, as well as working with wildlife organizations. He is Vice Chairman global of Reputation.com Inc., and Chairman of Bara Kali Ltd. (mining), Samburumburu Ltd. (Tourism agriculture) and a Trustee of Help for Heroes. He has served on the boards of Austin Reed Plc. (Retail) and Defense Technology Enterprise Ltd. and Fibropower Ltd. (Renewable Energies).

EVP, Research & Development

Peter Van Manen

Peter is Executive Vice President at Living PlanIT, leading Engineering. He is responsible for the development and support of the products and platforms created by the company, including the highly acclaimed PlanIT Urban Operating System (UOS). He is also responsible for the core applications and for UOS development tools used by 3rd party developers, the service and support and for PlanIT Labs, the R&D group focusing on advanced digital and biological systems. Peter has been on the Board of Living PlanIT since 2008.

Prior to joining Living PlanIT, Peter was Vice President of McLaren Applied Technologies and, before that, Managing Director of McLaren Electronic Systems. He was responsible for the development, production, deployment and support of control and data systems for the professional motorsport, high performance automotive and aerospace markets. Under his leadership the company won and retained contracts to supply standard engine control units (ECUs) to all competitors in Formula One, NASCAR and IndyCar, the three biggest motor racing series in the world. The company also won two Queen's Award for Enterprise, for innovation and international trade, under his leadership.

Peter has worked for many years in high-impact industries that demand high levels of performance, reliability and safety. He has worked on making: trains faster in underground coal mines; heavy-haul iron ore trains more robust in undulating terrain; long-overland conveyors quieter; and detecting deterioration early in critically-ill children in acute care.

Peter is Australian and has also UK citizenship. He has two degrees in Mechanical Engineering and is a chartered engineer.

EVP & Treasurer

Harley Blettner

Harley has been appointed to the Living PlanIT Board of Directors and will now head up Living PlanIT's PlanIT Valley business unit. He brings his great expertise in working with leading finance and insurance institutions, manufacturers and mall operators on significant financing instruments including debt instruments, bonds, letters and lines of credit, and lease negotiations to PlanIT Valley. Over the past 7 years he has held the positions of CFO, most recently the companies COO & Treasurer. He continues his role as Treasurer.

Harley is an entrepreneur who has managed and founded multiple businesses with expertise in the financing of residential and commercial real estate development projects including mixed use, business, manufacturing, apartment and single family properties. In 1984 he co-founded The Acumen Group, a residential and commercial finance company specializing in residential mortgage backed securities and commercial brokerage finance. Harley later founded and managed TFO Inc., which was an owner and operator of retail stores and shopping malls.

Harley began his financial career consulting for the advertising industry on US and foreign currencies.

Harley is a graduate of Northeastern University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with honors, with majors in both International Business and Finance. He was also a varsity letterman in rowing and a former crew coach.

Chief Financial Officer

Dieter Launer

Dieter Launer is the Chief Financial Officer of Living PlanIT. He joined Living PlanIT from Microsoft Switzerland, where he was the CFO. Before that he was the Managing Director for Finance and Delivery at Atos Origin Schweiz AG, where he led changes in the business model, financial operations and the organization.

Previously he held various senior management positions in finance in the software industry, at Novartis (post-merger Sandoz/Ciba) and at a family business. He also co-founded in 1995 an Internet access provider in Switzerland.

Dieter aligns business and finance by creating transparency in the numbers and providing accredited business insights to drive growth. He has led organizational changes from concept to implementation in finance organizations to increase efficiency and focus in supporting business functions.

Dieter graduated from University of Augsburg with a MBA in Business Administration, focusing on Finance and Auditing. Post-graduate he was an assistant teacher of Business Administration at the University of Bayreuth.

VP Sales & Marketing

Rosemary Lokhorst

Rosemary is Vice President Sales & Marketing at Living PlanIT and is responsible for the day-to-day effective management of the business unit. In this role she works closely with the CEO on the company's most important partnerships and relationships. She has additional responsibility for working closely with the COO on all aspects of the company's organization and strategy of continuous improvement. She is responsible for spinning up the necessary business units, including building the company's Partner Program and Sales organization. She has more than 20 years of experience in working for technology companies in technical and business development roles.

She joined Living PlanIT from Microsoft Corporation where she was responsible for the development of the services business for one of Microsoft's Global Accounts. She also led the “Women in Technology” initiative for Microsoft in Western Europe, which focused on retaining and developing the involvement of women in technical enterprises and professions.

Before Microsoft she served as Country CEO for a software start-up, after working in Business Development for Hewlett–Packard, Compaq and Siemens internationally for several years. She started her career in Software Development and Product Management. Rosemary has a Bachelor's Degree in Hotel Management and a Masters in Computer Economics. She is actively involved in philanthropic organizations focused on entrepreneurship and enabling small businesses that show social responsibility. She also sits on the board of the Swiss ICT Women in Technology organization and is a mentor to start-ups for the Microsoft Ventures program.

VP, Head of Corporate Development

Dan Byles

Dan is Vice President, Head of Corporate Development, responsible for building and leading strategic corporate development building corporate level strategic partnerships and alliances including design wins, strategic partners and investors, managing the company deals pipeline and participating in the assessment of target markets.

Dan chairs the independent UK smart city trade association SmarterUK, bringing together stakeholders from across sectors, championing smart city development within the UK and helping to shape the strategic policy environment for smart city solutions.

Before joining Living PlanIT, Dan was a British Member of Parliament serving on the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee and the Science & Technology Select Committee. He has strong expertise in energy, environment and clean tech policy, serving on the Parliamentary Bill Committee for the Energy Act 2013 and chairing a number of high profile All Party Parliamentary Groups.

Dan was the founding Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Smart Cities Group and a member of the UK Government Ministerial Smart City Forum. Prior to Parliament Dan trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and served in the British Army for nine years. After that, Dan served on the board of a National Health Service Trust as a non-executive director. He was the youngest member of the board.

Dan has a Joint Honours Bachelors Degree in Economics & Management Studies and a Masters Degree in Creative Writing. He holds two Guinness World Records for skiing to the Magnetic North Pole and crossing the Atlantic Ocean unsupported in a wooden rowing boat.

Chief Technology Officer

John Stenlake

John Stenlake, previously the Worldwide Automotive Technologist for Microsoft Corporate and Chief Architect for Ford Motor Company, is the Chief Technology Officer for Living PlanIT, providing corporate leadership for our continued innovation and use of technology. John has personally led the architecture, design, development, and initial deployments of the award-winning PlanIT Urban Operating System for over more than 5 years.

John has more than 30 years' experience in Information Technology development, management, strategy, implementation, and consulting.

Prior to joining Living PlanIT, John worked for Microsoft Corporation for 6 years, the last 3 of which were spent as the Director of Technology Strategy for the Automotive Vertical worldwide. John worked closely with multiple Microsoft product groups in order to ensure that the right offerings are brought to the Automotive market, as well as working closely with select customers on advanced vehicle and IT projects.

Prior roles inside Microsoft also include CTO, Manufacturing in the US, and Senior Architect in the Manufacturing Industry Architecture Team for Microsoft Consulting Services. In these roles John consulted with multiple customers on enterprise application architecture and strategy, and in particular drove messaging, uptake and deployment of Service Oriented Architecture.

Before joining Microsoft, John spent twenty years with Ford Motor Company both in Europe and in the US. John's team led the development and deployment of Enterprise Architecture within Ford.

John holds Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Mathematics from Oxford University in the UK and has been recognized as a Member of the British Computer Society and also as a Chartered Engineer. He has also received charter member certification as a Microsoft Certified Solutions Architect (MCSA).

Chief Scientist

Nuno Silva

Nuno manages the Biologicial Systems Department and runs a team of scientists. Nuno is a senior executive with verifiable year-after-year success in achieving revenue, profits and business growth objectives within start-up, turnaround, and rapid-changing environments. He has extensive experience with highly engineered systems, which require deep understanding of critical business drivers in multiple markets and industries. He led and motivated worldwide teams in various disciplines including sustainable energy programs, integrated water strategies, biosensors, carbon converter and bio-generators.

Nuno has been with Living PlanIT since 2008 and developed several integrated and intelligent solutions that incorporate the smart city framework such as Waste to Resources, sustainable water strategies, mobility strategies, energy strategies, infrastructure strategies, microbial communications, bacteriabots, advanced biofuels, biosensors strategies, Urban Microbiome strategies and machine learning using support vector machine.

Before joining Living PlanIT Nuno was the Technical Director at CEIIA (Excellence Engineering Center), after leaving Tate & Lyle where he was the production and maintenance director for 5 years. He started his career in the defense sector where he led several Innovation and R&D projects, always focusing on innovation, quality, applicability, maintainability and performance, while also managing multi-disciplinary teams.

He holds a Degree in Production Engineering with honors from the Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa, Portugal.

VP Legal & Corporate Affairs

Johanna Weigelt

Johanna is Vice President Legal and Corporate affairs and joined the Living PlanIT team as a partner responsible for law, corporate affairs, communications, program management. She is also currently responsible for Human Resources.

Prior to Living PlanIT, Johanna worked at various law firms specializing in domestic relations, criminal and real estate law including litigation.

Johanna has a broad liberal arts background in areas including anthropology, sociology, philosophy and communications and graduated from McGill University with a Bachelor of Arts with Honors.

Fluent in English, Italian, French and Slovak.

Chief Network Architect

Andrew Roden

Andrew is the Chief Network Architect at Living PlanIT, working on solutions that integrate the PlanIT OS and other Living PlanIT products into solutions that address the various markets and verticals.

Andrew has over 20 years' of technology experience and leadership in the Information Technology and Network Services industry and has headed up the design and delivery of major Living PlanIT projects. Andrew has a strong background in Software Development, Network Design, Change Control, Operations, Management, Support and Network Service provision.

Prior to joining Living PlanIT, Andrew was CTO at XOU Solutions, an original source "Software as a Service" company that he founded delivering truly agent-less IT and Networking Asset identification and management software to ISP's, Managed Service Providers, and Global Enterprises allowing customers to be compliant with software licensing agreements and maintenance programs including Cisco Shared Support.

Before XOU Solutions, Andrew enjoyed a successful career in the design, installation, operation, and management of ISP and next generation service networks for the likes of UUNET, KPN Telecom, Unipalm PIPEX and QoS Networks.

VP Corporate Development

Keith Hearnshaw

Prior to joining Living PlanIT Keith accumulated over 30 years business experience in both the IT and environmental/sustainability industries primarily focused in the sales and marketing arena in developing and managing customer and partner relationships.

In his years working as an IT industry professional Keith managed relationships with blue chip clients and partners within complex infrastructure software and service environments in business sectors including: messaging migration; directory management; virtual classroom and on-line learning platforms at organisations including Lotus Development, IBM, Worldtalk, Centra Software and SkillSoft.

Most recently Keith was a founding Director of L'atelier Limited, an environmental consultancy assisting commercial clients to manage and reduce their energy consumption and carbon emissions. Keith was responsible for the development of the sales and marketing strategy for the business, establishing key relationships with property developers, building owners and occupiers.

Keith brings a unique combination of experience and business skills from these two sectors into his role within the Living PlanIT business development and management team.

VP, Head of PMO

Bernd Herbert

Bernd is responsible as Head of PMO for coordinating the project management function at the corporate level of the company with the objective of ensuring that the PMO functions across the business units are aligned and add value to the Rhythm of Business of the company. He works closely with the COO on all aspects of the company's organization and strategy of continuous improvement. He works closely with the COO to introduce efficient systems that enhance all operations and make the company fit for purpose and sustainable.

Bernd has 20 years of business experience in management consulting and program management, leading change within major international companies across a series of industries, with a special focus on organization, sales & marketing and IT.

Bernd joined Living PlanIT from Capgemini where he served as Managing Consultant, Worldwide Automotive Industry. Bernd was responsible for establishing, driving and coordinating the overall strategic direction for change, communication, and project management. He had a leadership role to catalyze disruptive innovation, re-define the automotive retail digital experience while propagating and monetizing valuable software and interactive services.

Prior to Capgemini, Bernd held various management positions primarily in the areas of organization, sales, marketing & IT, at DaimlerChrysler during the start-up of the Smart Car range and project management at AXA's corporate headquarters.

Bernd graduated from WIU with an MBA in International Business. Bernd also holds degrees in business management & economics, linguistics & culture. Bernd is a fellow of both the RSA and ESLIDER.

VP Corporate Communications

Michael Weigelt

Michael leads Corporate Communications. Michael facilitates numerous cross departmental activities to promote operational excellence and commercial development. He advises corporate strategy to ensure that company vision, market objectives, product development, branding and messaging are aligned around the Living PlanIT ethos of improving quality of life through technology.

Prior to joining Living PlanIT Michael held a number of positions in organizations promoting regional and national community development and social empowerment ranging from youth education programs to political campaigning.

Michael has a degree in Political Science and graduated Cum Laude from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Other areas of study include anthropology, psychology, sociology, communications and life sciences.

Michael is fluent in English and has an elementary knowledge of Portuguese, French and Slovak.

Chairman of the Board

Ian Taylor

Ian Taylor is Chairman of the Board of Living PlanIT. Ian was a member of the British Parliament for 23 years until 2010, during which time he served as the Minister of Science & Technology 1994-97. He was Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary & Scientific Committee, the Space Committee and sat on the Commission on National Security. Since leaving Parliament, Ian has been appointed to senior positions in the field of science, technology and space, including: Chairman of the Steering Group of the UK National Space Academy, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Rainbow Seed Fund (investing government funds in spin-outs from the science research base), Chairman of Lunar Missions (responsible for the Lunar Mission One project), Member of the UK Science & Technology Facilities Council. He has been an advisor to ESA and is a consultant to Inmarsat on a space project for Africa.